Hotels with Extraordinary Swimming Pools

Ten hotels around the world with the most bizarre and beautiful swimming pools.

Which one do you like the best? Have you stayed somewhere that had a really beautiful pool? Post a comment and tell us about your adventures.

Top All You Can Eat Buffets

Nothing says indulgence like an all-you-can-eat buffet, and destinations like Vegas—the capital of excess—have been cultivating the genre for decades. The first rendition there, designed as a quick stop for late-night gamblers, opened at El Rancho Vegas, the Strip’s first hotel, in the 1940s. The Chuck Wagon restaurant advertised a “Buckeroo Buffet” (for a buck, of course) where gamblers could “hogtie a tantalizing selection of cold cuts” or “lasso a fresh crisp salad” to “appease the howling coyote of your innards.” Today, Vegas buffets are attractions in their own right, with diners parking themselves at the trough for hours.

Let me know some of your local favorite buffets. The Beau Rivage comes to mind right away for me. I'm all about the seafood wherever I go!

Disney Cruise Line Sets Sail for Alaska!

It’s a Disney Cruise Line® first! The Disney Wonder® Cruise Ship is sailing to Alaska for a four-month season of 7-night cruises in 2011. Departing out of Vancouver, B.C., the ship will call on popular ports such as Juneau, Ketchikan and Skagway.

The first Alaskan cruise sets sail on May 3, 2011, with the last cruise of the season scheduled for Aug. 30, 2011.

Bookings open to the general public on Sept. 28, 2009. If you're a Castaway Club member who has completed five or more sailings with Disney Cruise Line, you can book as early as Sept. 21, 2009. Early bookings are available by phone only.

INDEPENDENCE DAY

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!!! I hope you and your family enjoy this day together. Take time to pray for our men and women in uniform that are serving now and those that have served in the past to keep our great nation free.

You Deserve A Cruise!

TAKE A CRUISE. IT'S GOOD FOR YOU. IT'S GOOD FOR THE ECONOMY. IT'S AFFORDABLE. AND YOU'VE EARNED IT!

A well-chosen vacation, according to experts, offers significant benefits and opportunities, including:

Relaxation, shifting gears and change of scenery are good for one's health - physical, mental and spiritual

There is no better time or setting for reconnecting with family and friends and renewing relationships.

A vacation is an opportunity to discover or rediscover oneself.

There's no better time to recharge and re-energize and to look forward with confidence and enthusiasm.

What makes a cruise the perfect vacation therapy? There's the ease of planning and the convenience of having a "home away from home" for the length of the trip, plus all-inclusive pricing that delivers excellent value. The diversity of cruise experiences means that there is a vacation for every taste, interest and budget. With more than 30 domestic ports of embarkation, millions of Americans are within driving distance of a cruise. And CLIA member lines are doing everything they can to create irresistible incentives. So take a cruise; it's good for you!

This promotion runs through August 31st and I will be posting more articles in the days ahead. Just contact your friendly neighborhood travel agent! I'm ready when you are!

Travel Channel Cruise Special With Samantha Brown

In an upcoming episode of the Travel Channel series, Samantha Brown’s Great Cruises, host Samantha Brown reunites with family and friends during an hour-long cruise special airing Saturday, June 13, at 10 p.m. on Travel Channel. In the episode, Samantha provides viewers with an inside look at her vacation aboard the Carnival Freedom. The program highlights her experience with the variety of facilities and features aboard the 110,000-ton “Fun Ship,” along with the many sites and attractions of its popular eastern Caribbean itinerary that includes St. Thomas, Antigua, Tortola/Virgin Gorda, Nassau and San Juan.

I was onboard the Carnival Freedom at Cruise3sixty. It is a beautiful ship and they serve a great steak! But unfortunately I didn't get to see Samantha Brown.

UPDATE: Samantha Brown has an article about her Carnival cruise on her own blog!

Father's Day is June 21st!

Give him the ultimate Father's Day Gift… a luxury Golf trip! Find amazing offers HERE!

CLIA STATEMENT ON THE WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION PANDEMIC ALERT PHASE 6

Fort Lauderdale June 11, 2009 —

The Cruise Lines International Association released the following statement in regards to the World Health Organization pandemic alert Phase 6:

"The World Health Organization's (WHO) decision to raise the current level of influenza pandemic alert from Phase 5 to Phase 6 reflects the spread of the disease, not the severity. WHO also continues to recommend no restrictions on travel. CLIA member lines already have instituted enhanced screening procedures on a global basis to help prevent the introduction and/or spread of Influenza A (H1N1) on board cruise ships. These procedures are working. We have coordinated these procedures with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and they are fully consistent with the CDC’s guidance for cruise ships aimed at preventing the spread of the virus. The safety of our passengers and crew is CLIA’s highest priority."

Don't stop cruising. It's still your best vacation value!

1st Annual Byram Swinging Bridge Festival!

Hello everybody! I hope your travel plans will include a trip to our first Swinging Bridge Festival in Byram on May 1st and May 2nd. It will be held at Southpointe Centre just off the frontage road on the east side of 1-55 behind Portabellas Restaurant. There will be a carnival, food vendors, live bands, a car show, a beauty pageant and lawnmower races! Friday night will be armband night at the carnival for $15. The lawnmower races are Saturday at 3:00 and yours truly will be trying to make it all go smoothly! I hope to see you there!

Swine Flu Cruise Line Update

As of today, April 28, 2009 Carnival, Princess Cruises, Holland America and Royal Carribean have all canceled their ports of call in Mexico due to the Swine flu outbreak. For today most of the ships just spent an extra day at sea.

For future cruises,check each cruise line website for the itinerary change.

Carnival Cruise Lines

Holland America Cruises

Princess Cruises

Royal Carribean

Norwegian Cruise Lines

For updates on the Swine Flu go to CDC.gov.